Just a dream
by NightBird1
Summary: Harry must go and face Voldemort and finish things once and for all.
1. Default Chapter

"We couldn't say them,  
So now we just pray them,  
Words that we couldn't say."  
  
Harry looked around at his friends. "You guys need to stay. I don't want you there when this happens." He sighed. He knew they would try to force him to let them come anyway. His friends were too close to let him go off and do this alone.  
Ron looked at his friend. "You know we won't just leave. We realize this is something that you fell all noble about and feel that you need to do, but we can't let you go by yourself." Harry looked down at the ground. Yes, he knew all of this, but he still didn't want them there.  
"Look, we know how dangerous it will be. We also know that you can't do this alone, right?"  
Harry looked at his friend. "Please, don't follow me," after a pause, "this is something I need to do, alone." He took a step backwards from his friends. "Please forgive me." He turned around and started to walk quickly away.  
Hermione looked in the direction Harry was leaving. "So you're just going there to die? All of our friendship has come up to this point? Harry, don't you see? I love you; I can't just let you throw your life away! Please, Harry, don't die."  
Ron looked at Hermione in shock. Harry looked at Hermione, "I'm not going there to die, I'm going there to find out if I was ever truly alive. You say you love me, perhaps you do, but if you really did, you would understand why I must do this." Hermione just looked at Harry. "You and Ron have a good life together. Know I love both of you, and it's because of love that I do this."  
Hermione raised her hand in an attempt to stop him, but Ron put up his hand on her shoulder. She felt tears fighting for a chance to show them, and she quickly turned around, put her head on Ron's shoulder and cried. Ron looked at Harry. "You better live through this. I don't want two weeping women to have to care for. You're like a brother to me, and when all of this is done, we can be just like a family. Who knows, maybe one day we will be brothers." He winked at Harry.  
Harry nodded his head, and bid his farewell to his friends knowing full well this was very likely to be the last time that he saw them. He walked down the passageway that would lead to the final confrontation. Ginny followed at a distance. "You should stay behind," Harry warned.  
"You know I won't, so don't even try to make me stay away. Harry, I.... If anything were to happen to you that I could have stopped, then I wouldn't let me live with myself," Ginny said.  
Harry looked sadly at Ginny. "I don't think I could survive if you died and I didn't because of this. Please, I ask you, go back." He watches her for a bit. Her face was dead set, and she showed no sign of going back. "Please, Ginny, please, for everyone, go back." He watched her for awhile. He walked on knowing she was following. There was nothing he could do nothing to change her mind. "Please, when things get ugly, help me by attacking Voldemort, don't try to defend me." He reached his final destination.  
  
  
  
"Welcome Harry, so nice of you to join us. We were just getting ready to celebrate." Voldemort stood up to greet his guest. "Please, come and sit." He smiled at them. He was sure of his victory. Right now he was just playing with them.  
"No, that's quite alright, I enjoy standing. Where is the punch? I'm slightly thirsty, it was along road," Harry replied. He wouldn't let him have all of the fun.  
"Oh, I'm sorry, we just ran out of punch. I do hope you can forgive me for that minor inconvenience."  
"I think I can over look it this time." The conversation was defiantly different then what one might expect between mortal enemies right before their final battle. Voldemort stood up.  
"Well, I'm sorry if I dispense of the pleasantries and get down to business. I hope you don't mind terribly."  
"Oh, yes, lets get this done with." Harry looked at Voldemort. Voldemort stood up and waved his want at Harry muttering "Crucio." Harry doubled over with pain, he saw it coming, but didn't react fast enough to stop it.  
He stood up through the pain. He pointed his wand at Voldemort and shouted "simplex albus navitas!" A white blast of energy came out of his wand and headed towards Voldemort, knocking him back away from Harry.  
"Looks like you have been finding new spells. You're not the only one." He glared at Harry and shouted "Lentus Avada Kedavra." Ginny heard the killing curse, and ran out in front of Harry before he could be hit by it. She was hit by the spell full on.  
Harry ran over to Ginny. He propped her up in his arms. Her breath was starting to slow. "What did you do to her?"  
"I killed her. Well, sort of, the spell slowly kills its victim. It's quite painful, at least that's what all of the people that had it placed upon them though." He smiled an evil smile at Harry.  
"Harry," the weakened voice of Ginny said.  
"Shh, Save your strength, after this, we can get you somewhere that can help." His voice trailed off knowing the impossibility of it.  
"Harry," the weak voice continued, "This is all just a dream. A dream. Once it is over...I will be there with you... and..... We can be with... one another for.... Ever...." Her eyes closed, and she stopped breathing. Harry pulled what was left of Ginny into a hug.  
"I'm so sorry Ginny, this shouldn't have happened like this." He looked up to the ceiling. Voldemort looked upon this happy to see him so hurt. It worked out better then he had planned. Harry felt his grief turn to anger. Anger at the one that killed Ginny, whom he had never told, but had loved. He felt his Anger and power start to swirl together.  
Voldemort smiled at Harry and said "Expelliarmus." Harry's wand went flying away from him. Harry was so full of the anger and rage at Voldemort he didn't even notice. He had started to radiate white; magic started leaking from every pore of his body. It became a visible aura, and started to grow brighter and brighter. Voldemorts eyes widened at this. This was different then anything he had ever seen or heard of.  
Harry looked at Voldemort; "You killed her... You killed Ginny." The aura of magic around him flared brighter and he glared at Voldemort.  
Voldemorts eyes widened, and shouted "Crucio" at Harry. Harry took the curse on full blast and didn't even flinched. His grief was too much that he didn't even notice the pain. He shook from his feelings.  
"You have killed everyone I have ever truly loved. I can't let you continue. I will not let you leave here, even if it means I won't either." He felt the anger boiling up, and with the anger came more of his magical self. He yelled out at the top of his lungs, and his white aura flared out and surrounded the area.  
The aura slowly moved out away from Harry. Where the energy had passed, the ground started to show signs of life. Grass started sprouting, as did flowers. The energy approached Voldemort, who was backed up against a wall afraid of the energy. When it struck him, he let out a yell full of pain and fear. After awhile, the yelling stopped. Harry fell to the ground, feeling his life slipping away from him. He looked up and saw the remains of Voldemort. "He's dead, good... Now I can die.... And know that I left the world a new chance. Sorry Hermione... looks like I couldn't come... back. Ron, be nice to her." He crawled over to Ginny's corpse. "I'm so sorry Gin. Forgive me...." He fell on top of her, and let himself slip into the great beyond. 


	2. The awakening

"Funny, ain't it?  
Games people play...  
Scratch it; paint it, one in the same.  
  
We couldn't find them,  
So we tried to hide them,  
Words that we couldn't say!"  
  
Ron and Hermione looked down at Harry. He stirred briefly. He slowly opened his eyes, and quickly shut them because it was too bright. He muttered something. "It seems our sleeper has awoken," Ron said.  
"Hmm....where am I?" Harry had no idea where he was. He let his eyes get adjusted to the light, and looked around. It was a wizard hospital! He tried to sit up but found he couldn't so he just lay there. "Hmm.... How am I still alive?"  
"Well, to answer your first question, you are at a hospital, and for the second, we aren't sure," replied Hermione. She gave him some chocolate. He munched on it slowly. "Ginny is recovering in the other room as well."  
He sat up quickly, too quickly. He felt sick, but it didn't matter. "She's alive? How?"  
"I don't know, the whole thing is a mystery. How the whole room became littered with grass and flowers is beyond all of us. He is dead Harry, now that he's gone, what are you going to do?"  
Before he could answer, a voice asked, "He's up?" from behind the curtain. "Good, I'll need to ask you to leave us alone for awhile. I'll need to make sure he is okay."  
The left as a doctor came in. She knelt down next to him. "So, your Harry Potter, huh? Well, everything seems fine physically. Though something interesting has happened, your scar, it's gone. Magically is something different. When you came in, your magical portion of yourself seemed to be completely drained. It was like you were a muggle. So, I'll place a restriction on you not to use magic for a week. At the end of the week you will need to come in so we can check you out. See if you need to wait a bit longer." She smiled at him. "You will also need to find a new want once you have recovered. Also, on a personal note, thank you. I owe this peace to you, and what you did. You will be able to head home in a day I would say." She smiled and left the room.  
Hermione and Ron came back in. He looked at them. "Ginny is still alive? Where is she?" He wanted to see her. He had been so afraid of waking up and finding her dead, that he wanted to go and make sure she was really alive.  
"She was worse off then you are, and she is still unconscious. Harry, what happened in there?" Ron answered and asked.  
"I'm not sure, Voldemort used the killing curse on me, but Ginny got in between it. She died in my arms. After words, I was too angry to really know what I was doing. It just all came out." He looked around his room. "I want too see her. Please, help me get to her room." Ron and Hermione looked at each other. Hermione went out and asked the nurse if it was ok, and after getting an ok from the nurse, she came in and nodded. They lifted Harry up, and they hobbled over to Ginny's room.  
He came over and sat down in a chair next to Ginny's bed. He reached out and grabbed Ginny's hand and felt for the pulse. It was there. She was really alive. He let out a breath of relief. Ron and Hermione looked at each other and sat down in some chairs in the room. He held on to her hand. He reached up and stroked her hair. She seemed so peaceful.  
He turned around and looked at his friends. They talked for awhile. Harry looked at the unconscious form of Ginny. He slowly stood up and left with his friends for his own room. He lay down in the bed, and fell asleep fairly quickly. His friends looked at each other and left the room to head to their respective homes. He will be there when he woke up, they were sure.  
When Harry woke up, it was about 7 in the morning. He sat up, ate some food, and went out to the hallway. The nurse looked up at him. "Ready to check out?" He nodded, and she came over, had him sit down, and gave him some forms to fill out, scheduled the appointment for in a week, and asked how he was going home.  
"I'm not planning on heading home just yet, one of my friends is still here and I would like to stay till she wakes up." She nodded her head, and asked where she was. She was going to get him a comfortable chair so he could stay with her. He told her, and she nodded, and went to the room with him. The nurse brought a chair for him to sit in. It was a chair that the husband sits in when the wife has had her baby and he stays with her over night. He sat down in it. After awhile, Harry heard a noise coming from Ginny's bed, and he asked them to be quiet. He got up and walked over to her bed.  
She was starting to stir. He looked down at her face. Her eyes started to flutter. She was waking up. Her eyes slowly opened. Harry looked down at her, and held her hand. Her eyes opened but then quickly closed, the light being too bright. "Hello Gin, glad too see you're alive," Harry said. She looked up at him, and then held his hand as well. She smiled weakly at Harry.  
Ron and Hermione came over and smiled at her. "The other sleeper has awoken then, huh?" Ron asked. She nodded. The doctor came in, and asked Hermione, Harry and Ron to leave. Ginny shook her head and asked the doctor to let Harry stay. The doctor nodded. Ginny was told that she would be able to go after a night of staying here, and then come back in a week. She was told basically the same thing that he was told. After the doctor left, Harry looked down at Ginny and squeezed her hand. She looked at him and started to blush. He quickly let go of her hand. "I'm glad to see your alive Ginny."  
She nodded. "Didn't I tell you I would be there with you when you woke up." He smiled at her and nodded. "So, now that Voldemort is gone, what is the great Harry Potter going to do with himself?" She smiled shyly at him.  
"I'm not sure." He shrugged. He heard a tapping at the window and looked up and saw an owl. He went to the window, let the owl in, and got the letter off, and it settled down on a perch, to take a reply back. He looked through the letter. He looked up, "Well Gin, I think I'll go teach Defense against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts." He smiled at her reaction and gave her the letter. She read through it. It was an official invitation from Dumbledore to come and teach Defense against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. She smiled at him.  
"Well, I guess you probably have enough experience at it." She grinned at him. "So, should I call you Professor Potter yet? Or will you wait for that?"  
"Shoot, that means I will be your teacher, doesn't it?" he looked at her. "Oh well, Harry will be fine with me." He wrote his reply and gave it to the owl, and sent it on its way.  
"Where will you be staying for the rest of the time for the summer?" she asked hopefully. She wanted to talk to Harry a bit more over the summer.  
"Think your mom would mind me coming over for the summer?" he smiled at her. She nodded her head. He wrote a quick letter, and went out and asked it to be owled over to the burrow. He came back in and they continued talking for awhile.  
"Harry, shouldn't you be heading to the Burrow soon?" He shook his head.  
"I'm planning on helping you home tomorrow, and I was planning on staying here with you. Unless you want me to leave." He looked at her.  
She blushed and shook her head no. "That's okay, you can stay if you really want to."  
He smiled and they continued talking till she fell asleep. The next morning, they got up, and signed Ginny out, and left for the burrow. 


	3. Swimming

A/n The past intro lyrics are from the song 'Words that we couldn't say.' I found it doing a search for cowboy bebop songs.  
  
"It hurts, don't it?  
Fools on parade  
Taint it, own it, chase it away  
  
We couldn't make them,  
So we had to break them,  
Words that we couldn't say!"  
  
  
The arrived at the Burrow and Harry got the warm welcome he was so used to. He wouldn't want it any other way. Hermione had come over to visit when she heard he would be there for the summer. Harry was excited to tell them about his new job offer. "Hey guys, guess what!" he said to Ron and Hermione and smiled at Ginny.  
"What? You and Ginny finally together?" Ron asked with a smile on his face. This brought a blush to both Harry and Ginny's face.  
"Well no, not yet, but what I wanted to tell you is, I have a job," he smiled. Ginny was shocked at his statement not because of the news, but because he said 'not yet.' She looked at Harry and then slightly blushed and looked back to see Ron and Hermione's response.  
Ron and Hermione looked at each other and then at Harry. "Where at?" Ron asked.  
"Well, I'm not sure if you have ever heard of this place," he smiled at Ginny, "but I was offered a job at some school called 'Hogwarts.'" He smiled at their reactions. "Yeah, I'm going to be their Defense against the dark arts teacher."  
"Well, I guess you are sort of well prepared for the class," Ron smiled at him. "So they really want you as a teacher there huh?"  
Harry shrugged, "I guess so." Hermione was sort of shocked, but then came up to Harry and hugged him.  
"I'm so glad for you Harry," she told him. He nodded and hugged her a bit back. "So, you getting your class material ready?"  
He shrugged, "I probably should be. But first I just want to relax. I've been through a lot and I don't think anyone is going to hold it against me." He smiled. "I'm also sure that Ginny will want to be resting some too." He smiled at her, and she blushed. "So, where are you guys going to be doing with your lives?" He smiled at them.  
Ron spoke up, "Well, I was planning on seeing if I couldn't find a job at the Ministry." He shrugged.  
It was better then what Hermione told him. "Well, I'm not exactly sure as to what I'm going to be." They looked at her in shock.  
"Hermione is...unprepared?" Harry asked shocked. He looked at her in shock. "I wasn't even expecting to survive this, and I've already landed a job!" He smiled at her.  
"Oh you guys are terrible." She shook her head at them; not believing this was going on. She sighed. She looked at Harry and Ginny sitting there. "Ginny, could I talk to you a bit, alone." Ginny raised her eyebrow up but nodded. Hermione and Ginny stood up and walked up stairs to Ginny's room.  
Ron looked at Harry. "Want to play some chess?" Harry shrugged and went over to the chessboard. They talked briefly between themselves about what they were planning on doing with their lives.  
"So, Ron, you and Hermione gonna get married anytime soon?" He smiled at his friend as he was trying to pick a spot.  
This startled Ron out of concentration and he made a bad move. "Err, I don't know, what about you and Ginny?" he tried to throw him off as well.  
It didn't work, he captured his queen. "Oh, I don't know, I was planning on maybe after she graduated or something."  
This threw Ron off again, and he made another bad move. "You aren't serious are you?" he asked. He had joked with Harry for awhile about it, but didn't expect anything like this to happen.  
Harry took his rook. "I might, if everything goes ok."  
"Oh." Ron looks at the board. He made a move. "Check"  
Harry moved to counter, and said, "check" he looked at the board closely, "and mate."  
Ron blinked and looked at the board. "Either you have gotten good or I've gotten bad."  
Harry smiled and shrugged. "Maybe both, but you looked pretty distracted for a bit."  
"I hope we haven't kept you waiting for too long," a voice came from the stairs as Ginny and Hermione came in the room.  
"You won't believe what just happened," Ron started, "Harry just beat me at chess." The looked at each other and then at the boys startled.  
"You're joking, right?" Hermione asked. After Ron shook his head, and seeing the look on Harry's face, she smiled. "About time someone beat you. Though I'm sure he didn't use any underhanded moves, now did you Harry?"  
"Chess moves? No, none of those. Though I think I threw him off with our conversation a bit." He smiled at the ladies.  
"Oh, and what would that be?" Ginny asked.  
"Our futures and who we might end up with," Ron said looking at Harry. He said it was his conversation, and he wanted to know how he was planning on getting out of it.  
"Oh really? And who would these people be that you end up with?" Ginny asked.  
Harry looked up with a smile. "Ginny, would you like to go on a picnic with me today?"  
This threw her off guard, and smiled at him, "Okay, you guys want to join?" she asked Ron and Hermione.  
"Sounds like fun," Ron said as Hermione nodded. "Harry, you and me can get the food ready, while the ladies go and get something to sit on, okay?" Ron asked. Harry smiled and went out to get everything ready. Ginny and Hermione went up whispering to each other to get a blanket. They meet the boys down stairs. Harry offered his arm to Ginny, who took it, and Ron also offered his arm to Hermione who took it.  
They walked out to the lake and set the blanket down. Harry and Ginny sat next to one another, and Ron and Hermione sat across from them. They got the food out and started to eat it.  
The sat their and talked about everything and nothing at all. Harry leaned back and stared up into the blue sky. "It's so nice, to think that we don't need to worry about the next moment. To be constantly afraid of what was going to happen, if I was to be found. It's so peaceful." Harry sighed and smiled. Ginny smiled and lay back by Harry, hands behind her head. He smiled at her. She blushed but smiled back. Ron and Hermione leaned back as well. Harry put his arm under his head and his other arm on his stomach. He closed his eyes, and enjoyed the piece.  
After a while he noticed that it darkened all of a sudden and he opened his eyes to see Ginny staring down at him. He smiled at him sweetly and she blushed a bit. "It's almost time to go in Harry." She smiled at him, her freckles showing a bit more because of the tan she had started from staying out so long.  
"Thanks Ginny," he said. She stood up and offered him a hand, and he took it. After getting up, he didn't feel her really let go of his hand. He smiled at her and she blushed a bit and let go of his hand. They walked back to the house together. Harry walked in the kitchen, and got a whiff of something that smelled really good. "Hmm, smells good." He said.  
"Well thank you Harry," Molly's reply came. She was busy getting dinner ready for everyone. She smiled at Harry and Ginny as they left the room.  
"Hey, Harry, want to have a rematch against me?" Ron challenged him. Harry smiled and shook his head no.  
"That's alright, I won once today, and I'll just keep my record at that." Ron shook his head. Harry was the only one that would play against him, and with the girls around, he wouldn't do what he did earlier that day. "What about exploding snap?" Harry suggested. He was sort of good at that. Earlier that morning where he mated Ron was a pure fluke.  
"Okay." Ron got the game set up, and the girls watched. Ginny sat next to Harry and Hermione next to Ron, and they talked and if they wanted to whisper, they could without being heard. After dinner, they sat around and watched the fire in the fireplace for awhile. Ginny was starting to get tired and put her head down on Harry's shoulder. Ron was about to complain when Hermione put her head down on his shoulder. He decided that was probably a sign from Hermione not to do anything, so he stopped. After watching the fire for a bit, they decided it was time to go to bed. Harry and Ron tried to wake up Ginny and Hermione, but found they couldn't because they were fast asleep. So, instead Harry and Ron carried the girls upstairs, and put them in their beds, and covered them up. Then they went up to Ron's room and got ready for bed themselves.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Harry got up, and got changed and went downstairs to the smell of fried eggs and bacon. He saw that only him and Hermione were up and eating, Molly had gone out to work in her garden for a bit. Ginny and Ron tend to sleep in, so he decided to enjoy breakfast with Hermione. They talked for a bit about how they would be spending their summer.  
Hermione said she would be heading home soon, but was planning on trying to get back to visit with them for awhile, but her mom and dad would want to talk to her. Harry understood. He had the option not to go back to the Dursley, and he had already sent some mail to tell them so. He could imagine their reactions, they were happy, he was sure. He was happy too. He got to spend his summer with his best friend and Ginny. Hermione looked at him. "Harry, would you mind me asking you something?"  
He looked at Hermione. "Well, you just did, but I think I can answer another one too." He smiled.  
She looked at him seriously, "Are you planning on asking Gin out anytime soon?" He looked at her shocked.  
He cleared his throat. "I was thinking about doing it maybe sometime during the summer, but I'm not sure."  
Hermione nodded. "It's nice to know you want to take this slowly, but I want to stress to you this, she won't wait forever. You know that."  
He nodded. "Yes, I know, and after dying once, I think I'm more willing to 'seize the day' to coin a phrase," he smiled at Hermione.  
"Okay, just make sure you aren't out on the street selling newspapers for too much longer or she might just get over you. She loves you, you know that, right?" He nodded.  
"Hermione, I have a question for you." She looked at him in a way that told him that she would answer the question. She picked up her glass to drink some. "Do you love Ron?" She sputtered in her drink.  
She looked at him. "Harry, do you love Ginny?" she asked.  
"You're not 100% sure if it is real either then, huh?" he asked. She nodded. "Just a little more time with one another will prove it one way or another. That's the only way we can find out. Just promise me this, that you will give him a chance." Ron had talked to him last night. He wanted to ask her out today before she left. She nodded her head.  
They quickly changed subject to something lighter. After a bit, Ginny came down and joined them. Soon after, Ron came down as well. He looked at Harry who just smiled at him. "Hey Gin, can I speak to you in private?" Harry asked Ron's little sister. She looked up at him, nodded and stood up and followed him out.  
Ron watched them leave. 'Thanks Harry, next time I see you I will either kill you or hug you to death,' he thought. He looked over at Hermione and sat down next to her. He started to eat some of the food.  
"So, what plans do you have today?" she asked.  
"Oh, you know, the normal. Stuff like beat Harry at chess," 'as long as the girls are near by', "plan a surprise party for you, Oh wait, you weren't suppose to know about that, were you?" he smiled at her.  
"If you want, I can still act surprised when it happens." She smiled back. He had been nicer recently, and they haven't had too many arguments between themselves.  
"Thanks." Hermione noticed Ron get nervous. "Hey, Hermione?" She smiled at him. 'Okay Ron, you had this whole thing planned out, now you just need to do it.' "I was wondering.... If you weren't, you know, going.... Out with someone, if you might possibly want to...oh drat, Hermione, go out with me, please?" Ron let the whole of it come out.  
She was slightly shocked by his request. She smiled at him. "Well since I haven't gotten any better offers, I guess that you will do." Her eyes smiled, though she tried to act serious.  
He looked at her shocked, but then he realized she was joking about getting any better offers. He smiled. Hermione thought to herself, 'So that's what Harry was trying to warn me about.' He nervously took her hand. She tightened her fingers around his, and gave him a reassuring squeeze. 'So Harry, I full filled my part of the deal, you full fill yours,' Ron thought. The night before, Ron and Harry had agreed to ask the girls out before the end of summer.  
  
  
  
  
Ginny looked at Harry. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked.  
"Well, I wanted to talk to you for a bit alone, but I mainly wanted to get Ron and Hermione together alone before he lost his nerve." He smiled at Ginny.  
"You mean that he is going to ask her out? It's about time." she smiled at him.  
Harry nodded. They sat there talking about Ginny's next year at school, him teaching one of her classes. After awhile, Ron and Hermione came out of the kitchen holding hands and Ron smiled at Harry. That was all of the info Harry or Ginny needed. She beamed up at her brother for finally asking her. Ginny got an idea. "Hey, who feels like going swimming today?" Everyone seemed to like the idea because they all nodded their heads. She smiled.  
"Hey, how about we make it a day long thing? See if we can take some food out and the blanket again, and after swimming for a bit, we can go and eat and rest for awhile and then head back out again after words?" Harry asked. They decided too, so the guys got some more food and told Molly what they were going to do. Then they ran up and quickly got changed into some trunks. They went down to find the girls in their bathing suits, and they took the food and the blanket and went out to the pond.  
Hermione was wearing a once piece bathing suit, while Ginny wore a two piece. Both of them were modest bathing suits. Hermione and Ron went off into the water together, and swam away giving Harry and Ginny awhile together. Harry and Ginny swam around for awhile.  
Harry decided it was time to have some fun with Ginny, so he ducked down under water, and started to swim for where Ginny was. She hadn't noticed Harry going underwater, and so when she didn't see him, she started to worry. Not for his safety, she knew he could handle himself in most situations, but for her own. She felt something grab her leg, and pull her under. She took in a deep breath just in time to get pulled under, and when she was underwater, she turned too see Harry smiling at her, going up for some breath. She wasn't going to let him do that just yet. She grabbed a hold of him, and held him down. He looked at her in shock. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him to hold him down. He looked at her and smiled. She looked at him, wondering what he had planned, but quickly found out when he started to tickle her. She squirmed, but tried to keep a hold of him, but found she couldn't. He started to kick up to the surface, taking his chance. She reached out, and grabbed a hold of his leg, as he swam off. This shocked him, but he still got up to the surface. He took a deep breath of fresh air, and smiled as Ginny appeared next to him. "You nearly de-pantsed me, did you know that?" He asked her.  
She looked up at him in surprise and blushed. "Sorry, I didn't mean too." She blushed at the thought that she might have seen him without his pants on.  
"Yeah, I'm sure you didn't want too see me without any trunks on." He smiled at her, seeing her squirm a bit. He laughed and pulled her into a hug. She was slightly surprised and forgot to keep above the water. She started to sink down, but then remembered, and started to move back up. "What time is it?" Harry asked her.  
She smiled at him. "Oh, about time to go get some food." He smiled, not necessarily at her, but just smiled. She felt good in his arms. "You gonna let go of me anytime soon, or will I have to learn to get used to staying like this?" She didn't mind which one he chose, actually preferring staying like in his arms.  
"Hmm, while I don't mind this, my stomach is saying that it needs some food, so lets go get some food, okay?" He let go of her, and went back underwater swimming for the small beach. She shook her head and followed. On the beach, they tried to dry themselves off, to some success, and then they sat down on the blanket for the picnic.  
"Think Ron and Hermione will come around for some food?" Harry asked with a smile. She shrugged.  
"Maybe we should just start without them." He nodded, and got into their basket, and got out some food. They sat next to one another, and ate their food in relative silence. After eating, he lay down and rested his head in his hands. Ginny stood up, and looked at Harry. "I'm going to be right back, okay Harry?" she smiled at him. He nodded and she walked off to the house.  
Ron and Hermione came up to see Harry lying down alone. "Hey Harry, where's Ginny?" Ron asked him.  
"Oh, she went off to the house for a bit, why? You guys finally gonna join us?" He smiled at his friends.  
"Wait, she went to the house alone?" Ron asked Harry. He had a bad feeling about this. "Harry, when we get back, double check your sock collection too see if you have them all."  
Harry looked at his friend. "My socks? Why?"  
"Well, Ginny has a thing about socks, and she tends to steal them, though she only does it to her brothers, I would just suggest you check them."  
Harry was surprised. "Ginny steals socks? I find that slightly hard to believe." Ron just shrugged. Ginny came walking back from the house, after Ron told him not to say anything. She looked rather smug, and came over and sat down right next to Harry. He removed a hand from behind his head, and before realizing what he was doing started to rub Ginny's back. When she felt his hand on her back, her back stiffened a bit, but then started to relax. Ron looked at Ginny and Harry, and smiled a bit. He lay back, and had Hermione lay her head on his stomach. Ginny laid back captured Harry's arm under her back.   
She started to smile when she realized he wasn't trying to pull it out. Harry had stopped the backrub awhile ago because he was half-asleep. Now, he barely noticed her lying on his hand. Harry fell asleep from all of the food and warmth. After awhile, they were all out, but before Ginny fell asleep, she rolled over onto her side facing Harry, freeing his hand from under her back, but keeping his arm under her. Harry woke after awhile, to find his arm asleep, but Ginny lying right next to him. She was lying on his arm, and she was snuggled up to him. He looked over at her sleeping face and smiled. She looked so cute like this. She started to stir from her sleep. Her eyes opened and saw that Harry was watching her. He blushed when he noticed she was awake and watching him.  
"Good evening Harry, how did you sleep?" she asked smiling.  
"Pretty good, except my arm is asleep." She raised her eyebrow looking at him, and then realizing what was wrong sat up and let him pull out his limp arm. He smiled at her as he tried to get the blood working back through it. "Feel like swimming some more?"  
  
"Oh, I think I would be pretty contempt to just stay right here." She smiled. He laughed.  
"You can stay here if you want to, but I'm planning on getting some more swimming in." Ginny sighed as Harry got up, and went to the lake. Ginny got up reluctantly, and looked over at his brother, with Hermione's head on his stomach, his hand resting on her own stomach, in her hand. She sighed. She hoped that would be her and Harry soon. She could get used to spending her afternoons in Harry's arms. She got up and walked over to the lake. She looked around for Harry, and locating him, went over to him. He was floating in the water, face down. She dunked underwater away from him, flipped over, and swam underwater to where he was. She looked straight up at him and smiled. He blinked in surprise, but smiled back and leaned up so he was upright. Ginny came up as well. "I'm glad you decided to join me," he smiled at her.  
"Oh, and is there a certain reason why you are glad?" she asked him sweetly.  
"Just to spend some time with you." He smiled at her. He had so many feelings for her, and he didn't want to drag her into something unless he was certain about it himself.  
She blushed slightly at his comment. She gave him a look that made him slightly blush as well. He sighed. He dropped out of sigh underwater, and just sank for awhile. He needed sometime to think alone. How he felt about her, what was it? He wanted the best for her; she had been there for everything, even giving up her own life for him. Now that the danger was over, he didn't have to worry about what would happen to the people he loved. He could love someone. Was Ginny the one he wanted to love?  
The answer was simple. Yes. The problem came about how to ask her. He was certain she would say yes, but there was still that fear. He had to do it; he wanted to know what she thought. He also needed to get to the surface because he was starting to run out of breath. He started to swim upwards, and broke the surface. He looked around and located Ginny and swam over to her. She was looking away, so he sneaked up, and wrapped her in a hug. She gave a start and looked at who had grabbed her, and noticing it was Harry relaxed in his grip. "Yes, I could get used to this," Harry thought. "Hey, Gin? I was wanting to ask you something," he let his voice trail off.  
"What is it Harry?" she asked.  
"Gin, would you," he paused, "want to," again a pause, "bemygirlfriend?" It wasn't nearly as smooth as he was hoping it would be.  
Ginny's eyes widened. She smiled at him. "Okay Harry. I accept." She smiled at him. He was very happy, and squeezed her close in a hug. He loosened his arms around her, and she turned around and smiled at him. He leaned his head forward until their foreheads where touching. He leaned in, and kissed her softly, gently. He quickly moved away and she was smiling at him. They spent the rest of the afternoon splashing around in the water, and having fun. Ginny wasn't blushing at all, even when he said something that used to make her blush. He liked the change. Before the sun started to set, they decided to go in. Harry dried himself off with a towel that was left for him, and wrapped it around his waist. Ginny dried off and they went off to the house together, hand in hand.  
"Ron's going to be alone in there, isn't he?" Harry asked.  
Ginny looked up at him, "Yes, probably. How do you think he will take it? You know, us being together and all?"  
Harry smiled, "I have a feeling he will take it very well. Very well indeed."  
  
  
To be continued 


End file.
